S. M. Krishna (SM) crossed my path about the time he was appointed as Industries Minister in the Karnataka Government.
We have a common friend, C. Raghunatha Reddy and his wife Gaythri, who were very anxious for S. M. Krishna to meet this young brash consultant who was making a name for himself in India.
On several occasions from the Cellulose Acetate factory in Mandya to many other confidential matters, I had the opportunity to meet and discuss with SM, both during his tenure in the Karnataka Government and then when he moved to the Centre in New Delhi.
When I finally made up my mind to leave India due to several parallel circumstances, I felt that I should inform SM of my decision.
He had just been appointed as Minister of State for Industry in the Central Government. While wishing him well in his new post, I explained to him the reasons for my decision to leave India for good.
I have preserved his reply:
The handwritten scrawl at the bottom reads: "PS. I hate to see you go......"
There is an interesting article Governor Krishna settles into the 'City of Dreams' about this upstanding politician who has very gradually moved up the ladder, safely and surely, and is now at his pinnacle as the Governor of the State of Maharashtra.
I would like to wish him well and hope he can now relax from those chores that he had to do during his political life. He can enjoy his tenure in my second home city.
He may remember his infamous statement when he addressed the Karnataka Assembly and said that jobs in Karnataka should be reserved for the "sons of the soil".
I threw this back at him shortly after he made that speech. I asked him at that time that as my grandparents originated from Kerala and one had become the First Member (Prime Minister) of his state, then known as Mysore, as I had been born there and had my first wonderful 11 years of my life in the State of my birth, as I had then moved to Bombay and studied there for 5 years, where I had been totally at home, as I had done my University in Delhi for 3 years, again a fabulous city, as I had moved to England to my higher studies, work and got married to a Finn, all in the space of 7 years, following which I was living in Madras, when he made his statement, which "son of the soil" was I?
SM had replied that what he said did not apply to people of my stature in society.
I had retorted that any statement made by such a powerful and educated man, such as himself, should never discriminate between people based on caste, creed, colour, religion or place of birth!!
And now, here is SM in my third home State, a State I love greatly, Maharashtra, as its Governor - "son of the soil" SM?
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